Food critic Giles Coren previously came out in support of the restaurant, claiming Michelin-starred restaurants should not have to abide by normal health and safety rules and the guidelines should "probably be modernised".
"It is not little kitchens and pots boiling away, mimsy little things being placed on plates. He is cooking with fire... he stands there in his leather apron and it's roaring like fireworks," Coren said.
Ward, who has recently announced he will be bringing fine dining to Aberystwyth Town Football Club, previously said his restaurant was working "at the highest standard in the world" and doing "something different" with how it had approached raw ingredients and techniques.
He said he had faced "persistent challenges" with Ceredigion council's environmental health department, "primarily relating to documentation and a lack of understanding of our specialised procedures".
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by BBC News revealed the one-star rating had been based on factors including a dirty floor, inadequate hand-washing facilities in some areas, broken equipment and "an accumulation of dead flies".
Ceredigion council said inspections had been carried out in line with national standards set by the Food Standards Agency and, between April and December 2025, 90% of inspected premises in Ceredigion had achieved a food hygiene rating of between three and five out of five.
